Flordia fired Ron Zook after they lost to Miss St.
I beat they try to hire some guy named Spurrier!!!!

October 25th, 2004, 12:14 pm

spiderman

All State

Joined: August 11th, 2004, 1:38 pmPosts: 367Location: on the web

there was a rumor that steve was being considered for the dolphins head coaching position that will likely open up at the end of the season but i think he has proven that he is not an nfl type coach. returning to florida would be a good choice for him.

University of Florida officials have contacted Steve Spurrier to gauge his interest in returning to coach the school's football team, a source told ESPN college football analyst Jim Donnan on Tuesday.

School officials want to know within the next few days whether Spurrier is interested in returning to Gainesville to replace the fired Ron Zook, the source said.

On Tuesday night, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley denied a report from earlier in the day that a 24-hour deadline had been imposed for Spurrier's response.

"There's absolutely no basis to that at all," Foley said. "We've got a little time. Why would 24 hours make a difference?"

"Our timetable has been communicated to Steve, and he's fine with it," he added.

Foley also said that he has not been in contact with Spurrier.

Speaking at an alumni function in Tampa Tuesday night, Florida president Bernie Machen said the Gators probably will not hire a new football coach until at least "mid-to-late December," according to the Tampa Tribune. Machen said he and Foley will conduct a nationwide search.

Zook, who will finish out the season, was fired Monday after two-plus years, satisfying a growing groundswell for his ouster that began the day he replaced Spurrier. The Gators are 20-13 under Zook with four games left -- that's just 14 losses fewer than Spurrier had in 12 seasons.

If Spurrier would return, the former Washington Redskins coach would be interested in having Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Bo Pellini on his staff, the source told Donnan.

"We will discuss this job with a number of coaches, and obviously if Coach Spurrier is interested, we will sit down with him," Foley said Monday.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, Utah coach Urban Meyer and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino also could be possible replacements. Foley said he would not talk to any coaches with current jobs until after the season.

"I'm not here to talk about other jobs, and I'm not going to," Stoops said Tuesday. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm the head coach at Oklahoma, and that's enough said. I've got a great job."

Spurrier's defensive coordinator for three seasons at Florida, Stoops said he and Spurrier had talked recently enough to know he shot a 73 during his charity round.

But Stoops declined to give details about their conversation.

"That's not for me to talk about," Stoops said Tuesday. "Whatever he wants I'm all for. Though I talk to Coach frequently, that wouldn't be appropriate for me to talk about what we're talking about and what his feelings are."

Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- If Steve Spurrier decides to coach again, it won't be at his alma mater.

Spurrier withdrew his name from consideration Thursday to replace Ron Zook, saying his time at Florida has passed.

This decision gives the impression Steve Spurrier won't coach in college again.

The announcement relieves any reservations boosters and school officials had regarding Spurrier's potential return. It also opens up a coaching search that was widely considered Spurrier's to lose.

"He said he's done his thing here and he just thinks it's better for us to go find a coach who will be here for the next 10 or 15 years," athletic director Jeremy Foley said.

The Gators won six Southeastern Conference championships and the 1996 national title under Spurrier. He posted 122 victories over 12 seasons, tormented opponents with his offensive flair and witty one-liners, and left town with the best winning percentage in league history.

Zook, hired in 2002 after Spurrier left to coach the Washington Redskins, was fired last week after the latest in a series of embarrassing losses -- a 38-31 defeat by lowly Mississippi State.

With the right players, could Steve Spurrier's system work in the NFL?
Yes
No

Spurrier quit the Redskins after two losing seasons, and indicated last week he would consider a return to Gainesville.

Foley and Spurrier exchanged several phone messages, trying to set up an interview with school president Bernie Machen after the season.

"They were obviously making an effort to meet with me," Spurrier said in a statement.

But Spurrier's latest message ended all speculation about his return.

"When I departed three years ago, there were several reasons why I believed it was time to move on," Spurrier said. "Other than simply wanting to coach in the NFL someday, I also believed that 12 years at Florida was probably long enough. Many people in football believe that around 10-12 years in the same job is about the maximum time a coach should stay."

There had been concerns among some of the school's top boosters that Spurrier's return would be a step back and eventually would leave the program in another tough situation -- trying to replace a legend.

They felt Spurrier would never be able to regain the glory of the 1990s, and they openly questioned his desire to recruit and his motivation for returning.

Some also were still upset over the way Spurrier left Florida: calling Foley from his beach house and dropping the news in the middle of the recruiting season.

Nonetheless, they knew there was a chance Spurrier's return would restore credibility and championships to the program.

Stoops, who spent three seasons as Spurrier's defensive coordinator at Florida, has repeatedly denied any interest in the Gators job. But Stoops might reconsider with his old boss out of the mix.

Machen hired Meyer at Utah in December 2002, and Meyer's diverse offense would be welcomed in Gainesville after Zook failed with his NFL-style approach. But Meyer has no ties to Florida, which would make recruiting tough.

Tedford has spent his entire career on the West Coast, but he could be the perfect blend between Spurrier and Zook. His quarterback-tailored system has turned Cal into one of the top offenses in the nation, and his recruiting efforts match anyone else's in the country.

Florida wants to have a coach in place by mid-December -- after a full-blown search-and-interview process -- and the only thing that seems certain is it won't be Spurrier.

Some close to the 59-year-old coach say he doesn't want his career to end on a losing note and predict he will give the NFL another shot. It could come soon.

With Thursday's announcement there was almost immediate talk that Spurrier would end up in Miami with the Dolphins -- even though Dave Wannstedt has not been fired.

"I have not been offered any coaching job by any team, and I'm not searching for one," Spurrier said.